Centrifugally-operated contact device.



C. G. CUNNINGHAM. CENTRIPUGA'LLY OPBRATBD CONTACT DEVICE.

APPLGATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1913.

1 ,1 32,653. Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

QMM..

CHARLES G. CUNNINGHAM, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

CENTRIFUGALLY-OPERATED CONTACT vDEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentei Mar. 23, isis.

Application led September 9, 1913. Serial No. 788,794.

T0 all 'whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. CUN- NINGHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, county of Bronx, State of New York, have made a cer' tain new and useful Invention in Centrifugally-Operated Contact Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to centrifugally operated contact devices for automatically opening and controlling electric circuits.

The object of the invention is to provide means which are simple and eflicient for automatically maintaining an electric cireuit open through centrifugal action and to close said circuit when the centrifugal action ceases.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

. The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location and relative arrangement ofparts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown I in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a. View in central longitudinal lsection of a ,fentrifugally'operated contact controlling device embodying my invention, a gearing for producing the centrifugal ac tion being shown connected thereto, the centrifugally acting devices being arranged in an inclosing box, the top of which is shown open. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the centrifugally operated contact controlling mechanism, showing diagrammatically Athe applicati-on of the same in one forni of use thereof. Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section on the line 3, 3, Fig. 2. looking in the di-"\` rection of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a view partly in longitudinal central section and artly in side elevation of a contact controliingdevice embodving mv invention showing a modifiedform thereof.

The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs throughout the sever-nl views.

' In the drawing,reference numeral 5 designates a block or head which is designed to bia-rotated at a speed sufficient to develop the required centrifugal action. and preferably made of insulating material. fiber block will answer the purpose. rllie head or block 5 is connected to a driving shaft G through which rotarv movement is imparted thereto. This shaft may be a. motor shaft or it mav be geared to driving shaft, such, for instance, as indicated'at 7 Fig. 1 through any suitable arrangement of gearing 8, 9 for imparting rotary motion to the head of sufliciently high speed. An opening is formed fromone side face of the bl( ck or head 5 part way through the longitudinal centerv which cooperates a current collector or conVA r tact brush 16, the insulating bushing lei heing interposed between thc end of sieeve l@ and the portion 15. The inner end oi' the insulating bushing 13 extends somewhat beyond the inner end of sleeve 10 and serves to maintain a head 17 formed at the inner end of rod' 12, insulated from the inner end of sleeve 12.

Formed radially through the body of the head or block 5` are pockets or openings 1b, which extend into the central opening in said block or head which receives the head 17, insulating bushing 13 and conductive sleeve 10. Any desired number of passages 18 maybe employed. Under ordinary circumstances and for practical purposes have found that four of such pockets eqn; .J spaced apart peripherally weil answers the purpose but my invention is not toibo limiced or restricted in this respect. The pas sages 18 ,may be closed at their outer ends Iin any suitable or convenient manner. i

have shown screw-plugs 19 for this purpose.

In accordance with my invention, I propose to place Within each of the passages 18 a suitable electrically bridging elementwliich may be of any suitable conducting material, such, for instance, as mercury, as

indicated at 20, Figs. 1 and 3, or a metallic ball 21, as indicated in Fig. 4. lt is obvious that other substances or material may be employed and therefore the mercury and ball forms are mentioned as illustrative of suitable and convenient means for the pui pose. The bridging material, when the head or block 5 is stationary, in the passage or passages 18, which are above the horizon` starts. Another practical application of the.

tal plane of the axis of rotation of the head or block will gravitate to the innermost end or ends of such passage or passages and when occupying this position, such bridging material will serve to bridge the space separatin the proximate end of the conductin s eeve 10 and the 'adjacent surface of the ead 17, thereby placing the conductin sleeve 10, which would otherwise be insu ated therefrom into electricall connection with the head 17 and hence, through the rod.

I2, with the conducting portion 15, thereby bringing the brushes 11, 16 into electrical circuit connection with respect to each other. When, however, rotary movement is imparted-to the head or block 5 at sufficient speed the bridging substance 20, or' 21, through centrifugal action will travel radially or will be thrown out of bridging relation with respect' to t'hes'leeve` 1'0l and head 17, thereby breaking the circuit Vbetween the brushes 11, 16.

.A centrifugally operated contact controlling device havinl the construction above described is appllcablel for u se in any device is for the purpose of controlling signal systems employed in connection with the operation of'elevators whereby. when a push button is employed to operate a stop signal at any floor served by the elevator, it will not require a second operation of the push button where a car for any reason passes a floor without stoppingthere at any response to the signal, the signal continuing in' operation until the next or'some subse-v quent car stops at the required floor. Another use to which adevice embodying my invention may be applied is"'to"automati cally open the circuit of the charging generator for a storage battery in order to prevent av discharge from the battery. back through the generator in case the generator stops such an application ofpractical use of my invention is diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 2 wherein a storage battery indicated at 22 is shown arranged in the circuit of a charging generator 23, the charging circuit of which includes a switch device 24, controlled by a solenoid 25 in such relation that when the circuit of the solenoid is open the charging circuit of` the generator to the storage battery is closed and when the solenoid circuit is closed and the solenoid energized' the charging circuit of the generator to the battery is opened. The circuit of the solenoid includes any suitable source of current such-for instance as a battery 26,

land also the brushes 11, 16. Vith this arrangement it will be obvious that with the head or block 5 under rotation at sufficiently high speed the circuit connection between the brushes 11, 16 will be broken, thereby breaking the circuit of solenoid 25 andpermitting the charging circuit of generator 23 to the storage battery 22, to be closed. In this case, of course, thc motor which drives the generator 23 may serve to rotate the block or head 5. Should the generator stop or its driving motor be arrested the circuit of the solenoid 25 is automaticallyclosed, thereby Jpening the charging circuit of the storage battery and preventing the lat-ter from discharging back through the genera'- tor. v

In Fig. 1 I have shown the contact controlling apparatus placed within a box or casing 27, the door 28 of which is shown open.

Where I employ a more or less fluid brid'gv ing substance, such for instance, as mercury, 1 prefer to so mount the sleeve 10 and rod 12 in the block 5 as to be carried thereby and to rotate therewith, in which case the contact brushes or collectors 11 and 16 are employed. In this case only one line circuit is employed and as the apparatus is supported wholly independently of the frame of the machine in connection with which it-s used, and is merely gear connected thereto, I avoid the danger of and the complication incident to grounding the circuit through the frame'. In. its broadest scope` however, as defined in theclaims. my invention is not to be limited or restricted to this structure and arrangement.

Having now set forth the object and nature of rnv invention and constructions emibodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A centrifugallv operated contact con* trolling device including a block or member of insulating material having radial passages and an axial recessA in one face thereof; a rotatable shaft on which saidv block or member is mounted to be rotated thereby,

'circuit terminals insulated from each other' independent of said shaft and extendin'g'into said recess to a point opposite'said passages, and bridging material carried in said pas* sages and subject to the centrifugal action of said block or member for controlling the circuit bridging of the space between said terminals.

2. In a centrifugally operated contact'con'- trolling device. a head or block of insulatag materialhaving an axial recess in one face thereof and radial passages communieating with said recess, clrcuit terminals insulated from each other and extending into said axial recess to a point opposite said passages, and circuit bridging material contained loosely in saidpassages to bridge the space between said terminals when said head is atrest.

3. In a centrifugally operated contact controlling device, a rotatable head of insulat- 'ing material having an axial recess in one,

face thereof and radial passages communieating with said recess, circuit terminals insulated from each other and extending into said recess and centrimtigall;7 acting contact material carried in said radial passages to control the circuit connections between said terminals..

4. A centrifugally operated contact con- 'trolling device including a rotatable head of insulating material havlng an axial recess in one face thereof and radial passages communicating with said recess, contactterminals extending into said recess toa point oppo: site said passages, said terminals beingi".

' sulated from each other, and movable trifu'gal acting means loosely carried in said passages for controlling the circuit connection between said terminals. Y

5. In a centrifugally operated contact con trolling device a rotatable head of insulating material having an axial recess and radi. passages communicating with said recess, a contact sleeve extending into the axial recess in said head, a contact rod extending through but insulated from said sleeve and having a head juxtaposed with reference tolthe inner end of said sleeve, the juxtaposed head and sleeve end extending into cooperative relation with respect to said radial passages and loosely mounted bridging means contained' in said passages to control the circuit connection between said head and sleeve and contact brushes respectively coperating with said sleeve and head.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set i my hand in the presence of the subscribing witnesses, on this 8th day of September D., 1913.

CHARLES G. CUNNINGHAM. Witnesses:

G. A. MCGRATH,

S. E. DARBY. 

